SJRCC introduces customized courses
St. Johns River Community College is extending beyond its traditional offerings with a new series of non-credit training programs to assist small businesses or individuals in professional development. The Office of Continuing Education will offer customized mini courses for Microsoft Office Certification and Human Resource Management on the St. Augustine Campus. The courses to be offered are:

In 2009, 4-H is celebrating 100 years in Florida
St. Johns County 4-H alumni, families and friends are invited to kick off a year of celebration March 13 at the St. Johns County Agricultural Center as the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program celebrates its 100th year. Since 1909 the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program has been teaching youth to become community leaders with their head, heart, hands and health.

News, Notes
EMMA guild meeting
EMMA Guild meetings continue for the 30th anniversary 2008-2009 concert season at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Southeast Branch Library, 6670 US 1 South. It is also the guild's 20th anniversary, and new and established EMMA Guild members are encouraged to attend the meeting.

Presidential guests
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- St. Johns County Tax Collector Dennis W. Hollingsworth, CFC, and his wife Jan were guests of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House this holiday season.

Durbin Creek plans family event
Durbin Creek Cares "Snow" Much: The Durbin Creek Elementary PTO is planning a special family event from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 31 at the school, 4100 Race Track Road. Durbin Creek Cares "Snow" Much will include more than three tons of snow, an ice toboggan, a chili cook-off among school faculty members, crafts and food.

Coast Guard auxiliary part of Sailor's Remembrance Day
Dec. 13 commemorated the fourth annual Sailor's Remembrance Day in St. Augustine. The day served to honor all those lost at sea, with ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m. at the Vilano Pier, where a scripture reading was followed by the placing of a wreath in the ocean.

In Service
Nicholas Marchalleck graduated from U.S. Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., Jan. 9 and is now undergoing combat training in North Carolina. From there he will go to California for specialized training in computers.

Women Realtors set Monday mixer
The St. Augustine Chapter of Women's Council of Realtors will host its monthly mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Mercedes Homes model located in the Olde Florida Subdivision, 113 Grafft Lane St. Augustine.

Still looking for the heart in latest Clarkson hit
File this one under "predictable": Kelly Clarkson has returned from her Persephone-like journey across the pop-goth River Styx on the excellent but disappointing album "My December" with a shiny, streamlined new cut meant to break the speed limit up the charts.

Go & Do
TODAY
* See dolphins: Marineland's Dolphin Conservation Center, www.marineland.net, features the antics of Tocoi, Aqe and Tomo -- three dolphin calves born there in June and July. The calves and their mothers (Betty, Dazzle and Roxy) provide visitors with an entertaining and educational look at these fascinating marine mammals. Marineland is at 9600 Oceanshore Blvd. (A1A South). Call 471-1111.

Success hinges on more than race
WASHINGTON -- History surely will remember President Barack Obama as the first black to sit in the White House. But success in his term will depend on his accomplishments rather than on the color of his skin.

Inauguration a dream fulfilled for older blacks
ATLANTA -- As she watched Barack Obama descend the steps of the U.S. Capitol to be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, 107-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper leaned forward in her seat and let out a contented sigh.

Sen. Kennedy suffers seizure at D.C. luncheon
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, ill with a brain tumor, was hospitalized Tuesday but quickly reported feeling well after suffering a seizure at a post-inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama.

New president cites old virtues, deep traditions
WASHINGTON -- As he became a precedent-shattering president Tuesday, Barack Obama wrapped himself in America's deepest traditions, invoking God, the Bible, the Founding Fathers, cherished documents and old-fashioned virtues.

Bush library domain name fetches $35K
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Web developer George Huger says he turned $5 into $35,000 when he bought the expired Internet domain name for former President George W. Bush's presidential library and then sold it back.

National report
Bush pardons former U.S. border agents
WASHINGTON -- In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday granted early prison releases to two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer fueled the national debate over illegal immigration.

Crowds cramming into D.C.
WASHINGTON -- More than 1 million people crammed onto the National Mall and along the inauguration parade route Tuesday to celebrate the swearing-in of the nation's first black president in what was one of the largest-ever gatherings in the nation's capital.

Testing for cataracts thanks to NASA
WASHINGTON -- Space shuttle science may soon come to an eye doctor near you: Researchers are using a NASA gadget to finally tell if a cataract is brewing before someone's vision clouds over.

Lowery offers note of racial caution
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid the joy over the racial progress represented by President Barack Obama, there was a single mention of work still to be done.

Tears, cheers for Obama
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq -- Army Sgt. James Bishop wiped away tears while he watched Barack Obama take the presidential oath Tuesday and wished his mother had lived to see a fellow black assume their nation's highest office.

Biden's wife spills the beans
WASHINGTON -- Joe Biden's wife said Monday that he had his pick of being Barack Obama's running mate or the secretary of state nomination that eventually went to Hillary Rodham Clinton, a slip that the vice president-elect immediately tried to shush.

Study: Women less able to suppress hunger alert
WASHINGTON -- Faced with their favorite foods, women are less able than men to suppress their hunger, a discovery that may help explain the higher obesity rate for females, a new study suggests.

Great expectations awaiting Obama
WASHINGTON -- Even as they express deep concern about the current direction of the country, Americans are overwhelmingly optimistic about Barack Obama and are pinning their hopes for recovery from a massive economic collapse on the president-elect, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Obama will dive into foreign policy
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama will plunge into foreign policy on his first full day in office Wednesday, finally freed from the constraints of tradition that has forced him and his staff to remain muzzled about world affairs during the 78-day transition.

Obama takes historic spot as the first black president
WASHINGTON -- Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.

Plane probe will last a year
NEW YORK -- The probe into the crash-landing of a US Airways jetliner will take a year, and the lessons learned from the spectacular accident will last much longer, a senior investigator said Monday.

Capital abuzz as Obama prepares to make history
WASHINGTON -- On the eve of his historic inauguration, Barack Obama on Monday previewed a theme of his address to the nation and world by asking Americans to take responsibility in their lives and perform service for others.

UAW leader: Deadline unrealistic
WASHINGTON -- United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger suggested Monday that a mid-February deadline for General Motors and Chrysler to complete their restructuring plans may be "almost unattainable" and no formal talks had commenced between the union and car makers.

Inaugural parade highlights historic moments
WASHINGTON-- President Barack Obama led his inaugural parade down America's main street that paid homage to pioneers who paved the way for the nation's first black chief executive.

Why wait? D.C. parties early for the inauguration
WASHINGTON -- Forget the sold-out balls and A-list soirees: Ordinary Americans transformed Washington's streets into one giant pre-party Monday stretching from the overflowing inbound trains at Union Station to the banks of the iced-over Potomac.

Bush to Texans: 'It's good to be home'
MIDLAND, Texas -- Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed President George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas.

City celebrates Obama
A few dozen yards west of a market where, more than a century ago, slaves were sold at auction and a few dozen yards north of where, in the 1960s, black men and black women could not sit and eat at the Woolworth's pharmacy, several hundred people gathered Tuesday to watch on television as Barack Obama was sworn in as president.

Manuel case order sealed
A Jacksonville federal judge has sealed the latest order in the corruption case of suspended St. Johns County Commission Chairman Tom Manuel because it had to do with confidential informants.

Teen faces strong armed robbery charge
A Ponte Vedra Beach teenager faces charges of strong armed robbery and possession of prescription medication without a prescription following a reported robbery Sunday, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

MLK event stirred by Obama's swearing-in
The energy at this year's Commemorative Breakfast honoring civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was greater than in recent years, sparked by the excitement of Barack Obama being sworn in as the nation's first African-American president.

Protesters demonstrate at event
On the far-east end of the Plaza de la Constitucion, a man stood holding a scarecrow-like figure with a mask of President Barack Obama for a head.

Duo faces murder charges
St. Johns County Sheriff's detectives didn't have far to go when they served warrants Tuesday on two St. Johns County residents in the murder of a local man last week -- the two were already in the county jail facing charges in another incident.

Public invited to watch inauguration downtown
The public is invited to be part of a grassroots gathering in downtown St. Augustine that starts at 11 this morning to watch Barack Obama's Inauguration ceremony as it is taking place in Washington, D.C.

Shopping center appeal delayed
The St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday decided to postpone a hearing on a decision by the county's Concurrency Review Committee until Feb. 3.

Natalie "Nan" End
Natalie "Nan" End, 63, of St. Augustine entered into rest Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, at Flagler Hospital. She was born in Sebring, Fla., and had resided in St. Augustine most of her life. She had worked at Burton Electronics for more than 20 years.

Sandra "Sandy" Smith
Sandra "Sandy" Smith, 65, of St. Augustine, died on Jan. 17, 2009, at her residence surrounded by her family.

Mrs. Audrey Kenney
Mrs. Audrey Kenney, 82, of 305 Loudoun Dr., St. Augustine, known affectionately by her children as 'Bird Woman,' passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, Jan, 16, 2009, at her home.

Stanley Wayne Pacetti
Stanley Wayne Pacetti, 60, of St. Augustine, Fla., died on Jan. 19, 2009. He was born in St. Augustine and was a lifelong resident. He is survived by a sister, Shirley Dennison; two brothers, Darrell Goolesby (Myrle) and Johnny Pacetti (Dorthy); daughter, Carla; three grand kids, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Patricia Ann Ricketts
Patricia Ann Ricketts, a long-time resident of St. Augustine, died at her home Jan. 17, 2009. She was 59 years old.

Nicholas Benjamin Rogers
Nicholas Benjamin Rogers, 84, of St. Augustine, passed away at his home on Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. Arrangements are incomplete at this time but will be forthcoming from Watts Funeral Homes, Inc., San Mateo, Fla.

Letter: Post-9/11, Bush protected America
Two great presidents have led America in two different but similar wars in that they each protected the American people and freed millions of people. They cannot be compared in many other ways. World War II was a land-acquisition war. The Iraq war is a guerilla-type war. Both started with an attack on the United States of America, New York City and Hawaii later to become a state.

Guest Column: Nation should unite for change to happen
The 2008 presidential election campaign captured the minds and hearts of young and old, rich and poor. It was a grass-roots movement that crossed race and gender lines, brought people together from all walks of life--social, economic, and religious -- across the county, the state, and the nation, with one goal in mind: to elect a man who promised "Change we can believe in!"

The ultimate Bush defense: No attacks
After eight contentious years as president and weeks of striving to claim a positive legacy, George W. Bush leaves the stage basing his case squarely on the absence of a second terrorist attack on American soil.

Obama may continue Bush policies
Except for Richard Nixon, no president since Harry Truman leaves office more unloved than George W. Bush. Truman's rehabilitation took decades. Bush's will come sooner. Indeed, it has already begun. The chief revisionist? Barack Obama.

Police Report
CORRECTION -- James David Whitley, 51, was not booked into the St. Johns County jail Sunday, as was reported in Monday's Record in the booking log. Due to a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office error, Whitley's name mistakenly appeared on the jail log.

Police reports
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD):

Football needs trailblazer like Dungy
ORLANDO -- On this week when we have inaugurated our first black president, there are many theories and reasons as to why so few men of color have been hired as head coaches in major college football.

The Rant
As I'm sure you know by now, President Barack Obama is everywhere. So in honor of this historic day I think we should take a moment to appreciate how sports paved the way for something like this to happen.

NBA: Hornets, Hawks escape
NEW ORLEANS -- Chris Paul capped a 27-point performance with an off-balance 3-pointer as time expired, lifting the hobbled New Orleans Hornets to a 103-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Local Watch 2
Local swimmer Kasey Schmidt placed in the top 10 in several events in the girls 11-12 age division at the Toyota Winter Classic Swim Meet held in Savannah last weekend.

Local Watch
Flagler College will host the third annual "Dine with the Stars" fundraiser Thursday.

An Unlikely Pair
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ken Whisenhunt seemed to be a logical successor to Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh when the job came open two years ago. If not him, then certainly Russ Grimm.

Local: SAHS wins in boys hoops; Creekside girls win in soccer
Lorenzo Sparrow scored 18 points as the St. Augustine boys basketball team beat Atlantic 46-44 in overtime. SAHS (9-6) scored just four points in the extra period but held Atlantic (11-5) to two. Markis Merrill and Marcellus Brown chipped in with seven apiece, while Chris Butler had eight. The Jackets are 7-2 in District 5-4A play.

Ivanovic, Djokovic cruise in Australian
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic cruised into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, with both 21-year-old Serbs looking as if they could make another memorable run in the season's first major.

NFL: Jets hire Ryan as coach; McGahee OK
NEW YORK -- Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was hired as the coach of the New York Jets on Monday, a day after the Ravens lost in the AFC championship.

NBA: Bibby leads Hawks past Bulls
CHICAGO -- Mike Bibby scored nine of his season-high 31 points in the final five minutes, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 105-102 Tuesday to complete a three-game season sweep.

Putting, grit go a long way for Johnson
HONOLULU -- Zach Johnson had to defend himself, a peculiar position for a guy who had just finished a two-week stay in Hawaii by playing his final six rounds in 30-under par and winning the Sony Open for the fifth victory of his career.

Quick success
It's officially the time for North Florida boys basketball teams to double-check their schedules to find out when Creekside is on it.

College hoops: UConn women rout UNC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Renee Montgomery scored 21 points to help No. 1 Connecticut rout No. 2 North Carolina 88-58 on Monday night, dominating a matchup of unbeaten teams from start to finish. Maya Moore had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Connecticut (18-0), which turned one of the most anticipated games of the season into just another lopsided victory. Connecticut built a double-digit lead in the first half and led 46-30 at the break, then increased the margin against a deeper and supposedly more athletic opponent.

Local Watch 2
PGA Tour golfer Jeff Klauk (Nease) finished with a 7-under 273 Sunday at the Sony Open -- his first event as a full-fledged member of the PGA Tour.

Magic's Howard has special seat
ORLANDO -- Dwight Howard took the phone call from someone on Barack Obama's staff, half-seriously wondering if a job offer was forthcoming.

National: Flurry of baseball deals before arbitration
NEW YORK -- Nick Markakis reached a preliminary agreement on a $66 million, six-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, and Ryan Madson struck a $12 million, three-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies as players and teams rushed Monday to settle salary arbitration cases. A day before the scheduled exchange of proposed figures, teams announced contracts for 13 players and six more reached deals that weren't publicly confirmed by the clubs. Four prominent closers agreed to one-year deals: Bobby Jenks of the Chicago White Sox ($5.6 million), Huston Street of Colorado ($4.5 million), Kevin Gregg of the Chicago Cubs ($4.2 million) and Mike Gonzalez of Atlanta ($3.45 million).

NASCAR notes: Riggs gets new ride
CONCORD, N.C. -- Scott Riggs will drive for the new Tommy Baldwin Racing team in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup series. The 38-year-old Riggs, who drove last year with Haas CNC Racing, will be racing in his sixth Cup season.

Arizona O-coordinator stirs up emotions
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Todd Haley is loud, blunt and often argues with his players. He also is an emerging coaching star as the man who calls the shots for the high-scoring Arizona Cardinals' offense.

Sports world pauses as Obama takes office
WASHINGTON -- Muhammad Ali and Magic Johnson had prime seats at the Capitol. LeBron James watched from a hotel room in Los Angeles with his two sons. Across the country, coaches rescheduled practices, and even the Super Bowl had to take a back seat Tuesday to the inauguration of Barack Obama.

Local Watch
St. Augustine surfer Gabe Kling advanced to the quarterfinals before stalling out at the O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro presented by Ron Jon.

No. 1 Wake stays humble, prepared
Wake Forest was riding the bus home after beating Clemson when a walk-on broke the news: Pittsburgh lost, clearing the way for the Demon Deacons to jump to No. 1.

Steelers know all about Fitzgerald
PITTSBURGH -- Larry Fitzgerald might be the most scouted player in Pittsburgh Steelers history. For two years, they needed only to look out their office windows to watch him.

Priests accused of stealing from their church face trial
DELRAY BEACH (AP) -- Two priests who authorities say for years stole cash from their Florida church's offering plate and hid it in the church ceiling and offshore bank accounts to pay for lavish lifestyles will soon face a judge.

Accountant: Money manager owed $50M
SARASOTA -- Around the same time he mysteriously vanished, hedge fund manager Arthur G. Nadel owed a $50 million payout to some of the investors who had entrusted their life savings to him, an accountant said Monday.

Obama poster defaced at county fair
PALMETTO (AP) -- Local Democratic Party officials in southwest Florida say a poster of Barack Obama was defaced at the Manatee County fair.

Americas enthusiastic about Obama
MIAMI -- Many Latin Americans on Tuesday greeted the inauguration of Barack Obama with high hopes that the 44th President of the United States will successfully steer his nation and the world out of its current crises but some were skeptical.

Floridians head to D.C.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) -- Scores of Floridians -- including members of the famed Florida A&M University Marching Band -- were in Washington to take part in the inauguration of Barack Obama.

2 blacks, 3 women seek Supreme Court seat
TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist asked for more diversity among judicial candidates and he got it Tuesday, although only seven judges and lawyers applied for a Florida Supreme Court vacancy, the fourth in the span of a year.

U.S. troops from Illinois cheer Obama
KABUL, Afghanistan -- For two hours Tuesday night, the war on terror paused here, a brief moment when most soldiers in the Camp Phoenix cafeteria watched TV, ate cake decorated with a presidential seal and gave a standing ovation to their new commander-in-chief.

Hamas seeks to restore order in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Uniformed Hamas security teams emerged on Gaza City's streets Monday as leaders of the Islamic militant group vowed to restore order in the shattered Palestinian territory after a three-week pummeling by the Israeli military.

World report
Confessions made at Gitmo court
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Two alleged orchestrators of the 2001 attacks on America casually declared their guilt on Monday in a messy and perhaps final session of the Guantanamo war crimes court.

Hamas declares victory in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- They both chose backdrops of destruction for their speeches, one the still smoldering ruins of a U.N. food warehouse and the other Gaza's demolished parliament building.

Russia restarts gas, Europeans relieved
PISAREVKA, Russia -- Russian natural gas finally flowed into Europe once again Tuesday, after Moscow and Kiev pulled back from an energy war that drastically reduced supplies to many nations for two tough winter weeks.

Worldwide celebration
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Crowds of students gathered On the lawn of Nairobi University, where three big screens were set up to broadcast the inauguration of Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan.